A young woman who was just 11 when her mom was stabbed to death in Maryland has spent the past decade pursuing justice. Now, she believes it’s been served — in part because of her family's social media campaign.
The suspect, who's been on the run for nearly a decade, is now in custody in Mexico.
"I'm ready to get it over with," said the victim's daughter, Kiany DeJesus. "I'm ready for him to be in those handcuffs and so he can get out of my face, and I don’t have to worry about it anymore."
Her mom, 28-year-old Emilia Ignacio, was found slain in a car in Greenbelt back in April 2014. The person now in custody is Ignacio's ex-boyfriend, Juan Miguel Roman-Balderas.
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DeJesus said she and her mom had lived with Roman-Balderas for about five years. But he was abusive, she said. Her mom had broken up with him and was in a new relationship at the time of the murder, she said.
Authorities said Roman-Balderas fled the country. Efforts to find him failed for nearly a decade.
DeJesus is grown up now. She says her family’s social media campaign led to the arrest of her mom’s alleged killer, Juan Miguel Roman-Balderas.
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"I’m ready to tell my story," DeJesus said. "I’m ready to tell her story; I’m ready to tell my family's story. At some point, we have to be brave and we have to speak up."
Relatives have been posting about the cold case on social media for the last year. DeJesus said someone in Mexico recognized Roman-Balderas' photo and that led to his arrest.
Greenbelt police confirmed he is awaiting extradition to face first-degree murder charges.
DeJesus described her feelings on the arrest as "a mixture," saying she was relieved, happy and sad. "I was really overwhelmed," she said.
She has struggled with trauma, PTSD and anxiety, and described Roman-Balderas as abusive during the years she and her mom lived with him.
"I've had times where I got my my hand put on the stove and burned if I, like, took quarters and stuff like that," she said. "He would beat my dog."
She says Roman-Balderas was taken into custody back in December, so it’s been hard waiting for the legal process to play out, but she’s ready for what comes next.
"That's all we want, is just justice," she said. "We just want to be able to take that final breath of relief and just put it away."
